This invention relates to interior rear view mirrors for motor vehicles and more particularly to apparatus for providing an extension of the rear view mirror of most automobiles and for permitting a wide angle angular view of the rear and sides of the vehicle.
Although some vehicles have exterior mirrors on the side thereof remote from the side on which the driver sits, most automobiles, and especially older models, still have only an interior rear view mirror and a single exterior mirror, the latter being on the driver's side of the vehicle. With this arrangement there exists a "blind spot" over an area which may comprise a substantial portion of the view on the exterior side of the vehicle remote from the driver, i.e., the right side as considered from the seated position of the driver. Such blind spots normally result in the driver turning to look out the rear of the right side of the vehicle, but for some drivers this may be a painful exercise, and can be dangerous when the driver looks away from the forward direction in which the vehicle travels. Depending on the configuration of the vehicle, the position of the driver's seat and the size of the driver, this area over which the driver has no visual perception may be substantial and could result in a safety hazard.